Fragments of Time
by Toa Karou
Summary: A collection of short ficlets involving the Ainsworth household and their associates. Each story is largely standalone unless otherwise noted. #2: Elias needs help with understanding a familiar term.
1. Chapter 1

"Elias, what is this? I found it in the litter bin next to your desk."

The mage turned to look towards the doorway, where Chise held up a gold-trimmed wooden frame. The glass on the front was polished and spotless, indicating that it was a recent addition to his (former) possessions.

"Oh, that's nothing important." He waved a hand dismissively and returned to his book.

" 'It is hereby certified that Elias Ainsworth has been awarded the honourary degree of Doctor of Magecraft'... The College gave you a doctorate?" She placed the framed certificate on the table before him, along with a beige folder that was found together with the certificate.

"As I said, it's not important-"

"It is! This means that the alchemists recognise your contributions to the magic community."

"I have no need for paper qualifications, nor do I care about what the humans think of me. Having this title doesn't change anything." He adjusted his posture in the armchair, twisting his torso to face slightly away from her in a childish gesture.

Undeterred, Chise took his book from his hands, placing a paper bookmark between the open pages before closing it and placing it on the coffee table. She positioned herself atop his lap, shifting closer to his torso so she could lean against him on her side. A hand snaked its way between his back and the armchair, while the other ran down the lapel of his mage's coat, straightening it and flattening it against his chest.

"It means a lot to me. When you first bought me, everyone called you a recluse, a hermit who dislikes humans. But now you're doing more and interacting with others. As your human teacher, I'm really happy to see this change in you."

Elias recalled the recent interactions he had with acquaintances. Simon, Angelica, even Renfred have all mentioned the fact that he had changed somehow, but they were vague in their explanations. Had he really changed this much in such a short span of time? All because of Chise? Her presence had brought so much to his life in a mere two years, an insignificant length of time compared to his seemingly endless lifespan.

"... I suppose I have." He sighed. Chise smiled at this, patting his chest lightly in approval.

"I've been hearing complaints from Alice of your behaviour towards some of the professors, though. We've been through this-"

"Oh, hush."

The next day, a framed certificate hung on the wall of Professor Ainsworth's personal quarters. It stood out in stark contrast to the largely unfurnished unit's plain white walls, but changes often come in steps.


	2. Chapter 2

**Show Me Your Love And I'll Feel Fine**

"Chise, what does it feel like to love someone?"

The question came out of nowhere, catching Chise completely off-guard. The pair had been indulging in their hobbies on a peaceful evening, Elias reading a novel from his vast collection of books and Chise folding assorted origami pieces out of used paper. Upon hearing his sudden question, she dropped the half-completed origami fox.

"Pardon?"

"These stories often revolve around two characters being in love with each other. What does it feel like?"

Oh no, he's doing that puppy head-tilt again. The one that says 'please fuel my curiosity or I'll be sad and sulk for the rest of the day'. She picked up the origami fox and continue folding it, trying to focus on it and regain her composure. The question was too abrupt and caught her completely off-guard, how was she supposed to answer it? But Elias won't be satisfied until he got an answer, so she'll just have to try and relate somehow.

"I guess it's like a feeling of tightness? Like your insides are being squeezed."

"That doesn't sound very pleasant. I've felt a similar emotion before, Ruth told me it may be fear."

"It's kind of similar, but less intense. When you think about someone you love, your heart feels lighter and your body becomes warmer. You feel an urge to be close to them as much as possible."

'That's what it feels like to me, at least…' Chise blushed slightly as she tried to explain how she was feeling at that moment. Was she in love with Elias? Neither party had used that 'L' word towards the other, but she definitely hadn't felt such strong emotions toward a single person before. She couldn't imagine living without him any more. While she once held the same sentiments from a place of desperation, as Angelica had point out early on in her apprenticeship, she genuinely desired his company now. And if his increased displays of affection and actions (questionable as they may be) were any indication, so did he.

Still, this was Elias. Human emotions had to be related in a physical sense, since he seemed to experience emotions differently. She had a duty to teach him about these things, regardless of her own turbulent feelings. Even though she had no real obligation to do so, it only felt right to guide him through these matters, matters which his centuries of lacking human interaction prevented him from learning about.

"Hmm." He held a hand to his chin, seemingly deep in thought. 'Oh no, is he going to say something about this?' Her heart rate spiked, the origami fox becoming more creased as she tried to distract herself from the possible ways this conversation could end. She's not ready- they're not ready for-

"I see. Thank you." He dropped the hand that was on his chin and resumed reading, as if he had simply asked about the definition of a word.

Wait, he was just going to leave her hanging like that? Chise wanted to drop her head into her hands and groan in frustration.

Chise didn't realise it, but the conversation had a greater effect on Elias than she thought. The Magus continued to turn the pages of his book at regular intervals, giving the illusion of reading. In truth, his mind continued to ponder her words and tried to relate them to his own experiences. What she said actually cleared up many things for him, because her words more or less described how he felt when he thought about her. The beating organ within his chest felt like it was suffocating itself, yet it also felt like it was floating. Such complex and illogical sensations, yet they weren't necessarily unpleasant.

So yes, he supposed that what he felt towards her was indeed love. But this topic seemed a difficult one to discuss, especially considering Chise's flustered behaviour the moment he brought it up. If these fiction novels were any indication, 'love' as a subject should be approached cautiously, especially towards the object of one's affections. Hence, he shall refrain from mentioning anything until he felt she was ready.

In any case, that was one more emotion to add to his growing catalogue. This revelation- that he loved her- was oddly relieving, like everything had finally clicked into place. Had this been the missing piece of the puzzle that was his life? Words are known to have magical properties, but this was something greater than magic and way beyond his expertise.

If he were to look further into this topic, he'll have to approach an independent source for advice. After finishing his novel, of course.

* * *

Bonus points for guessing where the title for this particular ficlet came from.


End file.
